Automatic drain and pressure-relief valve



J. E. ARMSTRONG. AUTOMATIC DRAIN AND PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, 1919.

Patented June 15, 1920.

m M Y N UNITED STA ES Asst OFFICE.

JOHN EDwA nAnMsTRonG; or nnwcasrtn-urou rvivn, ENGLAND.

IAUITIOMATIIHC DRAIN Annmnssnsn-nnmns' nave.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February '4. 1919. Serial No. 274,970.

To all cohont it may concern: i- 'Be it known that'I, JOHN EDWARD ARM- -sTRoNe,of15 Wolseley Gardens, Jesmond,

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, a.sub{ect 0f the King-of Great Britain and Irelanc have invented certain .new and useful .Improvements in or Relating to Automatic Drain and Pressure-Relief Valves, of which the" following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves for automatically draining off water of condensation and relieving pressure in engine cylinders, turbine casings and the like. The ,ob-

'ject of this invention is to provide an improved valve for this purpose.

A valve made inaccordance with this in vention is characterized by the fact that water of condensation is utilized to keep the valve open after steam has been admitted to the steam chest of the engine cylinderor turbine casing, or whenthe'valve has been unseated' by excess pressure in the ends of' the cylinder or turbine casing, and thereby:

adapted to close said port, said spindle passing through a gland in said'cylinder at the end nearest said chamber, said gland being provided, if desired, with suitable' packing or grooved to; form a watertightjoint. The said'chamber is provided with an exhaust port open to atmosphere, said port being arranged to allow the lower end of said chamber to fill-up above, the level of said cylinder 'end with water of condensation, which water is admitted to said cylinder through ports near the end of said cylinder, which ports are adapted to be closed by the piston by steam pressure from the steam chestof the engine cylinder or turbinecas,

ing; Ports are disposed in said cylinder through which the water is forced into the chamber of the valve as the. piston \valve comes to the end of the stroke, whereby the valve in the piston is kept off its seat for several revolutions of the engine or turbine,

while water...due to condensation, priming or other cause is discharged from the;eng1ne...cylinder or turbine casing to atmosphere.

Referring to the drawings filed herewith Figure v1 is a longitudinal section of one form of valve made in accordance withthis invention and adapted for use in engine cylinders or turbine casings.

Fig. .2 is a longitudinalsection ofa valve adapted for -use in draining and relieving excessive pressure where the engine cylinders or turbine casings are connected by apassage and where the ends of the cylinders or turbine casings are adapted to be opened to-the atmosphere when excess pressure occurs at eitherend of the cylinder-or turbine. 1

' Fig. 3. is a longitudinal section of another COIlStIIlCtlOIL- Fig is a transverse-sectional view taken approximatelyonthe line 44: of Fig. 1.

Within the casing a is a chamber 2 which is providedwith an inlet port c'and an-exhaust port 0!. At the base of the casing-is a cylinder 6 which extendsinto the casinga leaving an annularspace f'between the casing and the cylinder. The-top of the cylinderv e is closedby a cover 9 and is providedwith a small port it disposed just below thecover 9. iP-orts 7c 70 leadfrom theannularspace f to the cylinder 6. A-pistonm provided with aspindle'n works in the cylinder 6. At the head .of the spindle nis a valve 0" adapted to close the inlet portc. The spindle n is provided with a cavity 19 which is connected by ports 1" to the space 8 above the piston m.

The ports 72 7c are disposed just above the top of the piston when the pistonis down and the ports 1" just below the-cover g. The casing a is adapted to be connected I tothe engine cylinder or turbine casing by a screwed connection 25 and to the steam chest of the engine' cylinder' or turbine-casing by I the connection 1) to admit steam to the valve cylinder 6.-

In the form shown in Fig. 2 the spindle n is provided with two valves 0 and w adaptedto close the ports 0 and 2 leading respectively to passages 3 and 4 from the ends ofthe engine cylinder or turbine casing. The oper-' ation of the valve is similar to that described with reference to Fig. 1'.

A valve of the type as shown inFig; 3 is provided with one or more ball valves 5 controlling the ports 70 leading from the these ball Valves is to admit the water of *condensation to the cylinder 6 if and when the valve is forced off its seat by excess pressure when the engine or turbine is running,

thereby keeping the valve open until the excesspressure-is released and all water dis charged.

In this construction the ports is are arranged to admit water through the ports 70 to the space above the piston m to the'cylinder 6 immediately the valve has moved off its seat, and not after the piston valve has uncovered said ports as inthe construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A valve of this type may be constructed with a single valve as shown in Fi l. i

The valve must be fitted to work in a vertical position with the connection t or the outlets 3 and 4 uppermost to allow the valves 0 and-w to unseat the ports 0 and 2 by gravity when steam is not admitted to the cylinder 6.

The action of the valve is as follows :Any

Water condensing in the cylinder of the engine or turbine finds its way into the chamber 6 and through the ports is into the space 3 on top of the valve piston. Any excess of water entering the cavity 39 finds its way through the ports 1' into the space 3 on top of the valve piston. When steam is turned on. a small rise of the piston m closes the ports is and r and the piston is prevented from rising toclose the port 0 until the water in'the'spaces is forced out through the miniature port it then permitting the engine tomake several revolutions until water due to condensation priming or other cause has been discharged. After the port 0 has been closed it will be reopened should any excess of pressure be created in the-cylinder of the engine or turbine casing by Water of condensation, the water will then flow into the chamber 7) and thence through the port 70 to the space 8 whereupon the valve 0 is again kept open until the water in the spaces has been forced out through the port 72,. The size or number of the ports it may be determined or varied to suit requirements.

The action by which the ports 71: are closed by the valves 5 is as follows c When steam is admitted to the engine cylinder or turbine casing, the pressure which is exerted on the water contained in the space 3 ontop of the valve piston by steam pressure on the piston m keeps the ball 5 against the seat until the water has been forced through the port h and the port 0 sealed by the valve 0.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an engine cylinder drain valve device, a normally open valve controlling the outletof the condensation water from the 2. In anengine cylinder drain valve de- I vice, a normally open valve controlling the outlet ofthe condensation water from the engine cylinder, a piston operatively connected to the valve and movable in a cylinder, said cylinder being adapted to admit fluid pressure to the piston to operate the valve to closed position on steam being ad mitted to start the engine, and means carried by the valve operating parts for automatically causing condensation water to be trapped by the. initial movement of the said parts to prevent the closure of the valve until after the engine has started.

3. In an engine cylinder drain valve device a valve controlling the outlet of-the condensation water from the engine cylinder and adapted to be unseated by excess pressure in said cylinder, a piston opera tively connected to the valve and movable in a cylinder, said cylinder being adapted to admit fluid pressure to the piston tooperate the valve to closed position on steam being admitted to startthe engine, and meanscarried by the valve operating parts for automatically causingcondensatiolr water to be trapped by the initial movement of the said parts to preventthe closure of the valve when the valve has been unseated.

4. In an engine cylinder drain valve device, a casing, a passage therein leading from the; engine cylinder to a chamber for condensation water, a valve controlling the said passage, an exhaust'porti in the wall of the V 1;

saidchamber, a cylinder inclosed in the said chamber communicating at one end with'the engine steam chest, a gland in the other end of the cylinder, a piston movable in the cylinder having a spindle passing steam tight through the said gland and operatively connected to the said valve, one or more ports in the cylinder wall controlled by the said piston, a'cavity in the pistonspindle, one or more ports leading from the cavity to theexterior of the spindle and adapted v to be shut oil by the said gland on the piston being moved from its inoperative position, and a restricted passage through'the cylinder wall leading to the condensation water I chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN EDWARD ARMSTRONG. 

